I've been constantly going back and forth on the Boston Celtics trading for Kevin Garnett.  Listening to talk show hosts, fans and pundits on WEEI and ESPN as well as reading up on everything in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald.  The conclusion I've come to is this: When's the last time you've heard the words Boston Celtics and NBA Finals uttered in the same sentence in late July, early August?

Those thoughts right there are enough to make it worth it.  Sure the Celts are mortgaging the potential future of five players and two first round picks and folks are saying this team will be old and gray in four to five years time.  However do you really want to wait around another four to five years to figure out if Al Jefferson and Gerald Green with an older Paul Pierce can be NBA title contenders?  Because I at least know this now, for the next four to five years the Celts with potentially the best trio in the league in a weak Eastern Conference will be a shoe-in for 50 wins, Atlantic Division titles, Eastern Conference titles and quite possibly an NBA title.  The fact that I can even say that makes this deal worth it.

It is a testament to the ownership who are finally ready to spend what it takes to put a winner out on the floor.  Finally the Celts have brought stars to Boston, stars that want to play in Boston.  With apologies to Antoine Walker, the Celts have been searching for a second star to help Paul Pierce, they've now given him two.  After a huge drought from the Bird, McHale, Parish era, the Celts are back on the map and you can be other players (Chris Webber, Troy Hudson?) have taken notice to the Celts willingess to spend and are going to want to play with guys like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

All three guys are quality character stars who are hungry for a title.  In fact, if not for a draft day trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, Allen and Garnett may have been teammates.  And one could sense from Pierce's smile at the press conference that he was like a kid on Christmas Day.

What this trade isn't, is a desperation move like signing Dominique Wilkins.  Prematurely dealing Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson for the likes of marginal players like Kenny Anderson, Rodney Rodgers and Tony Delk.  The years of M.L. Carr, Rick Pitino and Dino Radja are long gone, as are the excuses and curses of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis.

The Celtics have a new trio, (not 'The Big Three') and a ticket that says: Boston Celtics Welcome Back to the NBA.